Emerge from the depths and clear away confusion! On Wednesday, December 6, 2018, messenger planet Mercury snaps out of a befuddling three-week retrograde backspin through outspoken Sagittarius and then Scorpio's chamber of secrets.

Hallelujah—Mercury retrograde is over! Three to four times a year, messenger Mercury, the planet of communication, spends three weeks in a special brand of upheaval—as most of the world now knows. As Mercury passes the Earth on its journey 'round the Sun, it appears to spin backward. (Read our in-depth explanation of a retrograde here.)

During its retrograde, everything under Mercury's jurisdiction—conversation, simple instructions and plans, transportation and technology—gets muddled as well. People argue senselessly, flights are missed and trains are delayed, and electronic equipment fizzles out.

This go-round, mental Mercury was reverse-commuting through outspoken Sagittariusfrom November 16 to December 1, before winding down his retrograde through the watery depths of secretive Scorpio. Fears of exposure could have bubbled up, creating a sudden urge to shut down entirely. But since that won't do much good for relationships, this marked a fine week for getting back in tune with some of that trademark Scorpio intensity.

Now, as Mercury corrects course on December 6, it settles into a horizon-broadening cosmic landscape as the life-giving Sun and philosophical Jupiter are traveling through expansive Sagittarius. Just shy of one week later on December 12, the messenger planet will join el Sol and the red-spotted planet in Sagittarius until just before the calendar turns.

Since Mercury rules the transfer and travel of information, hopefully your data has been password-protected and backed up to the cloud. But we're not out of the woods just yet…

Not so fast! Mercury's "shadow" is in effect until December 24, 2018.

Don't rush to launch your new podcast or book an instant weekend getaway. Mercury's "shadow phase" is still in effect until December 24, 2018. (The shadow phase began October 28.) It's like a slow fade-in and fade-out, where we'll feel lingering effects of the retrograde a couple of weeks before and after. We call "retroshade," since the trickster planet still seems to be throwing shade at us!

That said, the coast IS clearing for the standard post-Mercury retrograde activities: shopping for gadgets and a new set of wheels, signing contracts, getting tattoos, deciding whether or not your love interest is undateable. Move ahead at a gentle clip and give your good senses a chance to resume.

And just a friendly reminder…

One thing you should know is that EVERY planet goes retrograde. The word "retrograde" has become so ominous these days, and even oversaturated in the mainstream. And while we might find this annoying in some ways, these cosmic cycles are also key times to really review, refine, and reconfigure. While Mars and Venus only go retrograde every other year, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are in reverse annually, for a good chunk of each year, giving us all ample time to fine-tune our most cherished projects and goals.